


Serve, Hit and Go

by SoraHinari



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Sports, F/M, Gen, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Major Character Injury, MegHypnos, Minor Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game), Slice of Life, Soft Thanatos (Hades Video Game), Sports, Tags May Change, ThanZag - Freeform, The Author Regrets Nothing, Three Part Fanfic, Volleyball, Volleyball AU, Volleyball Dorks in Love, Zagreus Needs a Hug (Hades Video Game), hades au, patrochilles - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 02:46:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29693835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SoraHinari/pseuds/SoraHinari
Summary: The Olympian Academy, a prestige filled school that Zagreus had to take over at some point due to his father being one of the stupid principals. Due to that he had to get involved, so why not do it in a fun way? With sports! Joining the male volleyball team alongside his two twin best friends since childhood, might prove a lot more straining than he thought. Join the prince of the school in his journey of school life and sports life, including a spice of romance, hurt and a lot of self-understanding!
Relationships: Achilles & Patroclus & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Achilles/Patroclus (Hades Video Game), Hypnos & Megaera (Hades Video Game), Hypnos/Megaera (Hades Video Game), Thanatos & Zagreus (Hades Video Game), Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	1. You Win Some, You Lose Some

**Author's Note:**

> Hello hello~  
> I am here again alongside JC's beautiful art to present you a very dear to us evolving volleyball AU featuring our precious Hades boys and gals~ I hope you enjoy joining us for this ride!  
> The art that started it all can be found here (https://twitter.com/soulfulweaver/status/1363316865938776071) and I recommend you checking it out!

The Olympian Academy was a private High School that many have joined, either to work in or to study, that of course included the son of the principal. The school was built from three brothers, that all three accordingly were principals for the establishment, one of them who had earned the nickname of ‘hell warden’ was Mister Hades. Well someone could tell that he was strict with not only his work but his son as well since Zagreus was forced into the Academy the minute he became eligible for it, in order to get to know it but also be accustomed to the school he one day would have under his own belt.  
At least a comfort was that his mother, Persephone, was working as a botanologist in the Academy and that both of his childhood friends, Thanatos and Megaera, had enrolled as well. So there he was, Zagreus, son of Hades, average student and friends with the most badass girl in school and the ace student… Going to the school’s gym.  
  
Why the gym, someone might wonder. Well that was of course because the boy was an excellent athlete, came with being Greek you see! Their gym teachers, Achilles and Patroclus were two of Zagreus’ favorite professors in the academy. So when they were talking about making a male volleyball team in addition to the already existing female one, it was only natural for Zagreus to take up on the offer, after all his father did want him to participate around the school, might as well do it in a way he would enjoy!  
But of course one person volleyball team is silly, so Zagreus did the best idea he ever had! Signed up Thanatos and his brother, Hypnos, alongside him! Best idea… At that point at least, because Thanatos didn’t let him have the end of it for a week after he heard about what his childhood friend had done. Of course Hypnos and Meg calmed him down, talking him into it by saying he could spend more time with all of them instead of just waiting for their practice to finish. So that whole predicament led to how they were now, Zagreus, Thanatos and Hypnos, all running laps for a warm up during after school hours.  
  
Their steps could be heard squeaking at the clean floors of the court, going along the outer white lines of the parkee, if they didn’t Achilles would be whistling loudly and probably make them do an extra lap in the end. Of course the three of them knew better than that and just followed instructions, soon entering the court for stretches before their assigned exercises. Both Patroclus and Achilles were talking at the side seats, thinking how they could proceed tomorrow for the friendly match against the Elysium Team, a volleyball team consisting of the seniors from Elysium Academy right in the heart of Athens.  
Although their students were not nervous at all, they were a tad bit, after all it was a local tournament and winning could get their team and Academy a little more bump in the charts. After getting the tactic ready for tomorrow, Patroclus moved to Zagreus and took him to the side, both of them with a ball performing proper serves above the net. On the other part of the court, Achilles after flashing a smile at Pat started serving towards Thanatos, letting the spiker pass the ball to their setter who easily, with surprisingly just a nod, settled the ball in perfect height for his brother to spike.  
  
The balls were flying left and right, for an hour almost, until Pat gave a whistle as the signal for them to stop. All three of the boys nodded at their coaches before doing some final stretches and laps. Achilles and Patroclus reminded them for tomorrow, after school hours, at their court they would welcome their visitors and their coach. After that they left, Hypnos followed soon after, mumbling something about meeting up with all of them during the afternoon. Noting that Zagreus started preparing his bag until a voice called out for him.  
  
“Hey, Zag.” The white-haired teen spun the ball between his hands before spiking it to the ground, making it bounce in Zagreus’ hands “Practice with me for a bit…”  
  
“But we just practiced Than!” With a laugh the black-haired teen followed his friend, each of them at a side of the filet.  
  
They just served and started passing the ball to each other, changing the power placed in their passes each time they did to at least cause a little challenge of a workout. They usually did that before a match, Thanatos preferring a bit of alone time with his best friend to maybe speak out any of their worries or thoughts, after all when they met like this it was just them, a ball and the court, no one else to listen.  
The ball did a soft thumping sound as it passed between the boys’ hands, almost booming in the quiet court of the gym, it was the only thing that someone could hear besides the slight squeaking of sneakers as they chased after it. At some point though even that stopped, Zagreus catching the ball with a pant lingering in his breathing.  
  
“Than… Is everything okay? I am used to these little private practice sessions, but usually you say something. This time you are just quiet, come on spill it out for me!” With a grin, Zagreus moved closer to his friend, raising the filet a bit so he could pass underneath it.  
  
“I am just worried… About you Zag. Are you truly okay for tomorrow? Not nervous at all?” His friend just gave him a shake of his head, his black tuffs falling in his eyes a bit before he blew them out, still giving Thanatos his signature grin “If you say so but, you do know… I am here right? If you need to talk to someone I-”  
  
The striker got interrupted, not by something rude, but by the libero giving him a tight hug from the waist, causing the ball in his hands to drop down and roll away from their spot. At the beginning Thanatos just stayed there frozen, blinking down at the other male figure before finally giving in, hugging back Zagreus with a sigh and closing his golden eyes as he himself tightened the hug for once.  
  
“I know Than, you always had and you always will have my back, it is why I know I can count on you no matter what. So don’t worry so much, okay?” Looking up at his friend, Zagreus chuckled and winked playfully before rushing after the ball to place it in its basket properly.  
  
It wasn’t much. It really wasn’t. Just a few exchanges of comfort words before a game. But to Thanatos it meant the world to be able to have those little moments with his friend, it showed to him how much Zagreus actually did trust him and how important this whole thing was for the other teenager. The striker knew better than everyone else that his friend was not responsible, except if he truly cared about something… And he cared about all this, he genuinely did. So as they picked their bags up, draping them over their shoulders, each of them took the same path, separating ways only to enter the neighboring apartments.

* * *

The next morning was all swell and dandy, Zagreus woke up a little after his mother shook him awake, charging in the kitchen, grabbing a toast and rushing to the entrance of their apartment building, where as expected Thanatos and Hypnos were waiting. All three started walking to school, Hades offered to drive them but they declined, after all it was a quite enjoyable walk, they even passed through their local park where a great coffee shop was situated. Predictable as it might have seemed, Meg was waiting outside of said coffee shop, a cup in both hands but soon one passed by to Hypnos, her hand now resting around the shorter boy’s shoulders.  
  
“So, excited for today’s match? I hear your opponents are pretty tough, their coach is quite the strict man when it comes to practices.” The captain of the female team mentioned, before taking a sip from her well brewed coffee.  
  
“Oh we will be fine Meg! Totally fine! After all, Hypnos and Than are one of the best duos in the court! Take them plus me and you have a dream team!” Zagreus said excitedly as they walked, slapping a friendly palm on Thanatos’ back, making him choke on his breath.  
  
“Zagreus! Ugh, that is why you’re not allowed to have morning coffee anymore…” Thanatos sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as all of his friends laughed at the reaction he had to the friendly gesture.  
  
As they walked their academy came into view, just a few hours of lessons and soon they would be in court competing, that alone made Zagreus heated up in his own shoes. So much in fact that he couldn’t content it, grabbing Thanatos by the wrist, a giant mischievous grin on his face. The strikers shook his head almost terrified, but his quiet pleadings were landed in deaf ears as Zagreus faced back at Meg and Hypnos.  
  
“Race ya two!” After exclaiming that, not even waiting for a response, Zagreus darted towards the school… Of course pulling poor Thanatos along.  
  
“We are not… Racing them right?” Megaera asked with an arched eyebrow, looking over at the setter and her boyfriend with a questioning look.  
  
After receiving a cute little yawn for her answer, the female captain smiled and wrapped her arm tighter around the teen next to her, landing a kiss on his head as they walked at their own pace until they reached the entrance. They instantly came into view with a ranting Than, chewing out Zagreus about running off like that without notice, how dangerous it could have been and all those warnings Thanatos loved to give… But per usual, Zagreus just smiled, rubbing the back of his head apologetically as he mumbled apologies up to the point that the bell rang and Meg had to depart. Giving a quick peck on Hypnos’ lips and a smack on the back of Zag and Than’s heads, she moved forward with a wave in order to reach the senior classrooms, while the three boys leisurely walked to the first floor to reach their own.

* * *

Minutes passed, then hours, finally they reached the final teaching session of the day… And it was math of all things! Zagreus didn’t hate math to be precise, he was actually pretty good at them once Than gave him a nudge… But the fact that his father was teaching them made them very hard to pay attention to in class, so there he was, bound to his desk doodling angry professor Hades faces on the corner of his notebook. His mismatched eyes traveled to the two desks next to his, on his right Hypnos was sleeping, face down on the desk sleeping… It made the prince of the academy snicker a tad bit. But on his right Thanatos was diligently taking notes, eyes focused on his notebook, darting between the board and the scribbling of his pen. The light from the window fell on him beautifully, causing Zagreus to support his cheek on his fist, keeping his head popped up as he sighed dreamily, hoping that the booming voice of his father would be enough to cover up for him.  
Apparently it was not, because soon his teacher was hovering above his desk, clearing his throat and opening his mouth to demand explanations… Until the bell rang! Saved by the bell at its finest! Zagreus stood up, almost flustered, picking up his stuff and darting out of the classroom.  
  
“ZAGREUS!!!” The loud voice of his father was heard all over the hallway, even waking poor Hypnos up and making Thanatos rip the part of the page he was noting down on!  
  
But Zagreus was close to the gym already, too far away from his father’s yelling and scolding. He was pumped up, already wearing his uniform and nothing could calm down his high… Well maybe a tad bit of Than’s glare did but that was not the point! The point was that the libero of the team was ready to give it his all!

When all three of them came out of the dressing rooms, their gazes landed on their coaches, who were talking with a tall white-haired man. He seemed young, around their age, dressed in a fully black volleyball attire with golden accents, apparently their coach since Zagreus spotted three other males at the other side of the net. One of the three, the shorter one, a brunette teen with a bright smile, rushed to them and waved happily, his sprint was fast, dare he say faster than his!  
  
“Hello! You must be our opponents for the day! I’m Hermes!” The boy extended his hand forward which all three of them shook, mainly out of courtesy, after all they did have manners. “These two are Theseus and Asterius!” He said once more with his fast paced tone, pointing at the blonde libero and the tanned, what Zagreus guessed, the setter of their team “Don’t be intimidated by them though! They are both big softies at heart!”   
  
“Hermes! Don’t talk with our enemies! Come back here, little fries like them don’t need to get to know us!” Theseus said, loudly enough to make his boastful presence even more apparent, earning a sigh from the team’s coach.   
  
With that Hermes left an awkward chuckle and returned to their side of the court, holding a ball that he picked up from the nearby basket on his way there. Zagreus didn’t know why, but that Theseus guy kept giving him glares… They didn’t even have time to introduce themselves why the hell was he getting that attitude about?! Well that didn’t matter, because Patroclus and Achilles came closer to the three boys with a chart in hand. They explained that they should play as they practiced and so that is what they did.   
Throughout the game Zagreus was focused, maybe more focused than other times, he didn’t know why but Theseus’ egotistical comments and taunts agitated him to the point he wanted to win just to wipe that grin off his face. He could tell his teammates noticed, by how Hypnos stumbled sometimes to set the ball properly for one of Than’s strong spikes, due to how forceful Zag’s digs and saves were. But Thanatos seemed unphased, he was probably used to Zagreus being annoyed during matches and by giving him the impression that he was coolheaded, he could possibly help him cool off as well.   
  
That did work for a short time, they won game one, although game two was a miss for one point thanks to Hermes being a very sprinting spiker, to the point Zagreus didn’t have time to react. But there they were, third game, last point… The point to dictate who would win the match. The gym was now full, students from both schools were cheering for their representatives, Zagreus could hear them loud and clear, they even gave him a bit of a confidence boost. So he took a deep breath, heard Achilles’ whistle and served, a bottom serve to top it off, causing Theseus a bit of a shock. But that didn’t cause their opponents to back down, they dug the serve and passed it to Asterius who effectively set it properly for Hermes to spike. The ball was high up and although Hypnos jumped to try and block it to pass it back to his brother, he couldn’t reach it in time.   
Zagreus focused on its spin in the air and lunged himself forward, he didn’t hear Thanatos shout that he would get it, he didn’t hear his name being called by Patroclus to fall back, he wanted to save the ball if he could. One, two, three steps forward and he leaped, managing to touch the ball with the tip of his fingers before feeling his feet tangle on themselves, causing him to trip on his own jump, weighing his body down. Without any control, Zagreus stumbled forward to Than who was already rushing with the momentum to save the ball, bringing both of them down with a thump.   
That was it, the point was set, the whistling from all three coaches signaled the end of the match… But Zagreus didn’t hear that. He didn’t hear Theseus’ self-complimenting himself, giving some but not much credit to his teammates. He didn’t hear the crowd slowly going outside of the court… What he could hear was the ball’s tapping sounds on the floor and his friend, right in front of him, holding his ankle and groaning in pain. Achilles and Patroclus rushed to Than’s side, Hypnos did too not much later with an ice pack… All three of them helped the young spiker to the bench, applying first aid on his ankle which appeared sprained… But not Zagreus, he could not move, he couldn’t do anything… They lost the game and it was all his damn fault...


	2. Strike to the Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! The 2nd chapter is here and I couldn't be happier to present it to you! Get ready for some feels and sweet moments before the climax of the story!

Days passed, a week did, the second one rolled in and the desk in between the twins was empty. No scribbling on notebooks or books, no paper planes being made, no notes passed to either of them… Hypnos slept through most of this, but Thanatos… Thanatos was something else. He felt something was missing, that something was off. Zagreus didn’t reply to his texts or his calls, he had only messaged him once one day after their loss with a quick ‘Sorry’ and ever since there was silence.  
The striker of their team groaned and banged his head on his desk, earning a sour look from their history teacher before pointing at the door. Rolling his golden eyes Thanatos picked up his bag and books, leaving the classroom and his half-asleep brother. He decided to just go home, school really didn’t have any effect on him that day, it was more of a loss of time than anything… His sprained left ankle was also not helping his mood.  
  
Once back home, Thanatos walked in his bedroom and landed face down on his bed. He groaned, his leg was throbbing and that alone made him turn around, support his ankle on a soft pillow just before grabbing his phone. Lighting up the screen with the press of a button the older son of Nyx signed, the no new messages note flashing before his eyes before turning off the screen and letting his phone fall on his chest, his hands rubbing his eyes.  
  
“Something is bothering you my son?” A calming voice was heard from the doorway of his room, making Thanatos look up and spot the figure of his mother leaning forward with a concerned look on her face.  
  
“It is nothing, thank you for worrying mother…” With a quiet sigh Thanatos slid his right hand under his pillow, supporting his head up as his left hand just laid flat next to it.  
  
“Thanatos…” The mother of the twins walked into the purple hued room, her steps light as the night. She placed an ice pack wrapped with a towel on the risen ankle of her son, right before lowering herself at the edge of the mattress, a gentle hand caressing the boy’s soft white locks “Please, speak to me. Something is eating you up, it is torturing your poor soul my boy… If I can lend an ear to help I will.”  
  
Opening his eyes to look up at his mother was the only thing Than could do before closing them again, leaning in the petting of his hair… It calmed him, ever since he was a kid, even Hypnos used to do it… Even Zagreus did… Damn it that boy, where could he be? Was he even alright? All those questions, made Thanatos just groan and sink the side of his head deeper in the softness of his pillow.  
  
“It is because of what happened with Zagreus, isn’t it?” Just a second of silence gave away the answer, that plus the way Thanatos’ facial features softened the instant his friend’s name spilled from his mother’s lips “Please, speak to me Thanatos. I am here to listen.”  
  
“I know you are. Both you and Hypnos are here for me to lean on but…” Curling up carefully as to not move his left leg, Thanatos signed “I just don’t know mother, I am confused…”  
  
“Confused as to what happened, why this is happening or…” With a caring, purple gaze, Nyx looked down at the closed eyes of her son with a smile “Confused about your feelings my son?” That alone made the teen boy jerk up to look at his mother, who was now retreating back to the living room of their apartment.  
  
From his mother’s treatment, Thanatos groaned and covered his face once more. He knew his mother was right but of course wouldn’t admit it, he would never admit that the answer to all the previously stated questions was ‘yes’, ‘yes’ and ‘yes’, not to his mother and moreover not out loud to himself.  
The only thing that made him look from between his fingers was the door closing, his brother walking in and softly changing the side of the ice pack with a soft but concerned smile. Thanatos returned that smile to Hypnos, understanding very well that his brother was plainly worried, but soon that smile flattered when the other boy sat where their mother did before.  
  
“I spoke to mom you know. She said you are confused about the whole situation… Plus your feelings about Zag, is that true?” Just by the little blush on his twin’s cheeks, the curly twin chuckled and winked “Oh don’t worry! Me and Meg have figured it out for years now! Than? Than! Oh come on!” With a pout, Hypnos followed with his lidded eyes the grumpy figure of his brother limping to the bathroom… He really should talk with Meg about this situation.

* * *

The night in their household was uneventful, quiet too, Thanatos didn’t come out of the shared room he had with Hypnos, preferring to stay in and study for tomorrow. On the other hand Hypnos attempted to go next door after dinner, to at least check up on Zagreus, but he was soon informed by Persephone, his friend’s mother, that he is not in a state to see anyone. That started to spark a worry in the setter of the team as well, so much in fact that the next morning he woke up early and rushed off. Since Saturday was a day free of everything and just filled with relaxation, he didn’t even get questioned as to where he was headed, not even by his brother who was still refusing to go out of their room.  
  
His steps soon led him to a coffee shop, the same coffee shop they usually picked up Meg from every morning. The park was loaded, Saturdays were busy days even for the old court the park had, it was used by small ones to play tag or just chase a ball around. The café was also full, he was surprised at how his girlfriend managed to get a seat almost every Saturday for them… Well now that he thought about it more, having a sister working part-time here surely must have helped.  
Sitting down across from Megaera, Hypnos sighed with a frown on his pouty lips, earning the attention of the female volleyball captain instantly, making her lower her phone to the table and lean forward with one of her hands stroking the setter’s cheek. She could tell that what Hypnos told her yesterday has been eating him alive so what she did was cross her legs, sit back and signal for a waiter to come to their table. Luckily for her it was her sister, Alecto, so she didn’t need to say either her hazelnut coffee or Hypnos’ caramel latte, they just nodded at each other and soon their order was on their table.  
  
“Hey, Hypnos…” Taking a sip from her coffee, Meg smiled at her boyfriend and looked at him with a caring smile “You know I am here to listen right? I might not seem like it but I care for Thanatos, he is my friend even if he is a bit of a numbskull every now and then, same goes with Zagreus.” She noticed that Hypnos looked up from swirling the straw in his latte to smile at her, sparkling some sort of hope in his usually tired eyes.  
  
“I know Meg, I know. It is just that both of them don’t talk to each other at all… It is so obvious that they are crushing so damn hard! But all they do is pin each other like there is no tomorrow… And when stuff like THIS” Hypnos waved his hands to show emphasis “Happens, both are at a loss.”  
  
Resting both of his arms on the table, Hypnos laid his cheek comfortably on them as he looked up at his girlfriend, who was now twirling one blue strand of her loose hair, rarely down from her high ponytail. It honestly made him smile a bit, after all she was beautiful, pressing her pink layered lips together in a thoughtful expression, sipping from her drink every now and then leaving a small stain of lipstick on the straw, just watching Meg alone could make Hypnos fall asleep in an instant… Not that it was a particular problem for him but she always made it better.  
  
“I will talk to him.” Meg suddenly announced, making Hypnos shake his head to wake up from his daydreaming session.  
  
“Wait… What? Did I hear you correctly? I spaced out for a second…” He sheepishly apologized, earning a smile from Megaera and a chuckle.  
  
“Of course you did, for both of your questions darling. Leave Thanatos to me, I will talk some sense into his head… He must man up and talk to Zagreus, even if that means that I will need to drag him to Zag’s apartment and then his room.” As if what she said was completely normal, Meg kept drinking her coffee.  
  
From across the table Hypnos just smiled, then grinned and then laughed holding his stomach just before he started enjoying his latte. His girlfriend talking over this with his brother would be golden, he knew very well Meg was brash and blunt and sometimes harsh… But her talks were effective, it was thanks to her that Thanatos agreed to join the volleyball team and it was thanks to her that Zagreus actually started to give a damn about his studies. Of course both talks were less important than this one but it was how the feral captain treated what she talked about and how it passed down to who she talked to, not what she talked about. So given that fact, Hypnos was confident enough that his girl could do it and bring peace in everyone’s head once again!

* * *

When Hypnos returned home with Meg his mother was leaving to visit their big sister, she did mention food was ready in the oven so the only woman in the house, mainly cause she didn’t trust Hypnos with the oven and Thanatos could not stand up to save the life of him, served the pasticcio into plates. After she made sure to place the food in the oven again, Meg walked in the twin’s room with a scowling face, placing the plates on the table in the middle of the room. Her piercing eyes landed on Thanatos, who made no effort to turn around and look at them or even touch his food.  
That alone was enough to agitate her, making her fork land in the plate with a loud noise, loud enough that the older twin managed to sit up and look at both her and Hypnos with wide eyes. Thanatos then noticed the plate of food, frowned and looked away almost ashamed. His fingers lingered on his phone that was on his nightstand, looking to see that not only it was 9pm but also that he had no calls or messages, minus the one from Hypnos telling him that he was returning home after his day out with Meg.  
  
“You have to talk to Zag, Thanatos. And I mean T-A-L-K!” Megaera said, spelling out the last word, her stance stern, arms crossed under her chest and legs over the knee.  
  
“Pardon?” With a tilt of his head and an arched brow, Thanatos looked beyond confused, he didn’t even bother to blow the white bangs from in front of his eyes, he was preoccupied with understanding where Meg was getting at.  
  
“I don’t mean you pinning on Zagreus like there is no tomorrow, that is a daily occurrence ever since middle school. I am not here to solve your love life.” With a smirk on her pinkish lips, Meg leaned forward to look more intensely into Than’s eyes “I am talking about this whole loss thing. Volleyball is a sport, a game, there are losses as much as wins and you guys lost one game, one friendly game… To top that off, you both are blaming yourselves for what happened! Zagreus its bright as day is blaming himself for both losing the game and hurting you, while you blame yourself for Zagreus being so down and isolated this past week! Grow up Thanatos! Grow a pair too while you’re at it and go talk it out! If you don’t…” With a pause, Megaera leaned back and frowned “Who knows what can happen to him or you… Mentally or physically…”  
  
Upon hearing that Thanatos’ eyes widened, the worst part wasn’t what his friend said or how she said it, it was that she was right about everything. As fast as he could he slipped on his sneakers, after all he was already dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, good enough to go next door. He darted out of the door, leaving behind Hypnos wide eyed and Meg with a smug look on her face when she heard the entrance of the flat shutting with a loud bang.  
  
“That was… Faster than I expected…” Hypnos commented surprised before leaning his head on his girlfriend’s shoulder, his hands still holding the plate and the food as he took a bite from their dinner.  
  
“Let us just hope that he won’t run and hurt his ankle more than he already has… You do have a game in two weeks and he should recover properly.” Letting Hypnos continue his dinner while leaning on her, Meg wrapped her left arm around the smaller boy while the other one was busy twirling some of the white curls, trying to relax after all this rant.

* * *

Already feeling a sting from his ankle, Thanatos stood at the door next to theirs, took a couple of deep breaths before ringing the doorbell with shaking hands. He waited, his right foot tapping the ground as a way for him to project his anxiety about this whole ordeal. But it stopped once the door opened, revealing their teacher and Zag’s mother, who welcomed Thanatos’ presence with a warm, kind smile.   
  
“Thanatos, I didn’t expect you to visit. How is your leg?” She asked in her soft voice, noticing that the teen boy in front of her green eyes was nervous just by how fast his golden eyes were darting left and right.   
  
“It is… It is fine ma’am thank you for asking. Is… Is Zag home? Is it okay if-” He was cut off there by Persephone raising her hand up and shaking her head, a frown on her lips.   
  
“Wait right there Thanatos, Zagreus is not home. If he was I would let you see him in a heartbeat but he went out not very long ago. He did get his phone with him so I suggest trying to text him, or you can wait until he comes ba-” Persephone didn’t have time to finish, the boy in front of her quickly sprinting downstairs and out of the building, leaving her behind to close the door with a smile “Those boys… They never learn~”

Ignoring the pain of his ankle, Thanatos started sprinting. He tried to think on his own where his childhood friend could have gone. At first he hesitated to text, pushing himself to run to their highschool, but by the time he reached the building the gates were locked… Too late even for Saturday clubs and activities to be there.  
With one hand he gripped a nearby pole, trying to steady himself as he slipped out his phone. Apparently he must have pushed his ankle a bit too much because not only he felt it burn, but his hands were shaking as they unlocked his screen. Moreover while he texted his fingers were almost twitching, he had to delete and re-type several letters, but alas he did press send as he tried to catch his breath from running.  
  
 _‘Zag, where the hell are you?! Answer me… Don’t you dare just read this… You have me worried for the whole week you idiot!’_  
  
He wasn’t waiting for a fast answer but he noticed his phone buzzed fairly quickly after his message was sent, with a reply.  
  
 _‘Old court in the park… You shouldn’t come, you need rest Than.’_

After that Thanatos didn’t even think before pocketing his phone and darting towards where the park was located. The streets were quiet from cars, most people hanging around coffee shops and bars or restaurants, he was lucky, because of that he could run as fast as he could without the fear of knocking someone over. Thanatos was also lucky that the park was fairly close to their school too, because his ankle gave out on him exactly at the entrance.  
But he was stubborn, he couldn’t simply give up now that he had heard from Zagreus after a whole week. So he did what he had to do, took a deep breath and kept walking while supporting himself from any tree he could reach out for. Soon the entrance of the court came in sight and he leaned his body against the metal frame to catch his breath. His legs were shaking as if they were jelly, the boy tried his damn best but he found himself falling on his knees… That is at least what he expected to happen but instead, two arms wrapped around him and carried him at one of the corners of the court, supporting his body there properly on the ground and the metal fence.   
  
“Than! I think I told you to rest! Look at what you did!” Upon listening to that voice, Thanatos looked up to see Zagreus looking down at him with almost a teared up gaze “Look at what… I… Did… Oh, Than I am sorry. This is all my fault, you are now hurt and it is all because of my stu-”   
  
Zagreus didn’t have time to complete whatever it was that he wanted to say, quickly stopped by Thanatos pulling him down between his legs and into a hug. A very tight hug, which he couldn’t reject, so the libero just hugged his friend back with a small sob. Soon tears spilled from his dual eyes, tears that he kept ever since their loss...   
  
“It is not your fault, Zag. Nor my ankle, nor the loss. Nothing is your fault completely, I had a part in all of these as well, Hypnos did too, our coaches did as well. You are not the one who is supposed to carry all the guilt and regret of a mishap.” Pulling back with a smile, Thanatos cupped his friend’s face with both of his hands, the intense pain of his ankle long forgotten the second Zagreus smiled, as he stroked the teardrops away from his cheeks with his thumbs.

“It is not the loss of the game that has been burdening me, it is you. You were hurt because I was just on edge that whole game, Than. Now you even ran here to find me, so your ankle must be worse than before… Oh, Than… I am sorry…” Hugging his friend closer he pressed their foreheads together, a small blush on his cheeks as he averted his gaze.   
  
Thanatos thought back at what Hypnos told him, at what his mother told him and at what Meg did. It might have been a horrible idea but it was the only one he had at that moment, the only thing it came to his mind to do and so he did. His two palms pulled Zagreus closer, tilting his head and soon pressing their lips together. He noticed that his friend didn’t close his eyes, the exact opposite, he opened them wide. But Thanatos, the moment he was going to pull back, got pulled back in by Zagreus holding his cheeks as well. A breathing session was due, so when they broke the kiss they just sat there, smiling and holding each others’ cheeks in their cupped hands. 

“I didn’t know you liked me Than.” Zagreus said after a minute of silence, causing the spiker to groan and look upwards at the stars of the night sky, with a smile on his face nevertheless “I mean, you know, like, like, like me. I think I made it pretty clear that I liked you! On the other hand, maybe I should have followed Meg’s advice and-”  
  
“Zag?” Thanatos looked down at his childhood friend, and smiled with a chuckle at his enamoured facial expression “Of course I like you, or else I wouldn’t run in the middle of the night to find you in an old court.”  
  
“Yes but are you completely sure that you-” The rest of the sentence came out muffled, lost between his and Thanatos’ lips as they kissed again.  
  
That night they didn’t go home, they were lucky enough that the next day was Sunday and even luckier than the 24hour restaurant just down the street was open. So the two of them just sat there, talking about random topics, how the stars shone, old myths and stories, ghost tales that revolved around the park and the center of Athens, their minds leaving behind all the worries and guilt infused thoughts it had stored during the past week. For now they would relax and upon the start of the new week, they would practice to get back on their winning streak starting next competitive match!


	3. Point of Victory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This is the final chapter of this wonderful fic!  
> I had a lot lot lot of fun writing this story and I look forward into experimenting with more AUs maybe~  
> I hope you enjoy reading the 3rd and final chapter!

The next school week rolled by a lot more smoothly, Zagreus returned to classes normally and Thanatos after some good rest could walk almost normally again, the boys even requested their coaches to start training again! Surprisingly even their principal seemed to relax, mister Hades, fearsome professor and headmaster even agreed with his brothers to allow a school trip! To which of course all the students were okay with!  
  
Much to everyone’s surprise, even Hypnos was up and early for the school trip! It wasn’t something grand, just a walk to Acropolis and the center of Athens, but he wouldn’t miss the chance of walking Megaera through the central park while holding hands, not a chance. To be frank, Thanatos wouldn’t miss the chance to walk alongside Zagreus in the beautiful streets of Athens, maybe pick up a gyro along the way too… But no, he shouldn’t give in… What would others think?!  
With a sigh, Thanatos looked up upon listening to steps rushing down the stairs, his eyes widening the minute Zagreus leaped from the two last stairs to hug him and even spin around before placing a small kiss on his cheek, making Hypnos laugh loud enough to echo in the apartment building. That earned him the classic glare from his brother, who soon pushed all three of them to keep walking, finally finding Megaera outside of the school gates this time and not the park since they skipped it, after all they could pick up coffee at the trip.  
  
Without any hesitation, the captain of the female volleyball team instantly hugged Hypnos by the shoulders with one of her arms, winking to the other two boys as they walked in, heads up both of them, not an ounce of embarrassment drenching their figures. Thanatos, on the other hand, just returned the smile Zag gave him, fixed his glasses that he wore during class and started walking next to his now boyfriend.  
Their steps were almost synchronized and Zagreus didn’t hide his big grin, his dimples even showing from how much he was smiling while looking at his childhood friend. But the striker of their team was just averting his gaze, cheeks blushing and the hand on Zagreus’ side tapping the side of his thigh. His fingers were flexing in and out, his mind racing between grabbing Zag’s hand in his and not… At some point he even sighed out loud, earning the attention of his friend to his right. The moment Zagreus pieced the puzzle together, as if a light bulb appeared above his head, he gasped happily, launching himself on Thanatos’ side, hugging his arm with both of his, grinning up to him with his signature happy-go-lucky smile. Completely ignoring that they were still walking, being stared at and almost toppled over. Instead he focused on Thanatos’ surprised, shocked, wide-eyed gaze, which slowly softened into a smile as he kissed the top of his forehead, brushing back some black strands with his free hand, before just keeping up the pace towards their class for their arranged attendance check.  
  
They all stood by their desks, well almost if you take into account that Zagreus was still hugging Thanatos by the arm and even now, resting his head on his shoulder for comfort. Even when Hades glared at them, his son kept holding tight on Thanatos, even glaring back at his father as the man checked their names off the list in front of him. As they walked outside of the class and soon formed a group to march towards the center of the city, Hypnos with Meg walked next to the two newly nested lovebirds.  
  
“You know Zag, you can let go of Thanatos, I think his poor arm is sore from how much you have it gripped!” The lady of the group said, letting out a chuckle at Zagreus’ pouty face as a response to her statement.  
  
“Hypnos’ shoulders are probably sore too, but you don’t see us making a fuss about it.” The libero said, causing Thanatos to roll his eyes and Meg to slightly glare at him.  
  
When the two boys walked ahead of them, Meg looked over at Hypnos worried if Zagreus was right and her hugging his shoulder caused him any discomfort, but the shorter boy just smiled at her. Hypnos was quick to dismiss any worry his girlfriend had, by pulling her arm tighter around him and even giving her a soft, quick kiss on the cheek. Making completely sure she cracked a smile before walking with the group, both eager to enjoy their time in the street of Athens.

* * *

The students went through Syntagma square, some of Plaka streets all the way up to the Acropolis area. They walked by the museum, some even walked in, some professors such as Miss Athena and Mister Ares, eager to show around the showcases. From there people returned to the square, others wandered around and about, as for Thanatos and Zagreus, they decided to climb up the Acropolis hill.  
They walked past the Parthenon, saw the ruins of the city’s highest place, but soon reached the edge of the hill. It was a rough, stone layered edge, but many people were sitting there viewing the spred city under them. No one could blame them though, the view was truly breathtaking, buildings rising one after the other, soon making a stop for mountains to come into view, some of them still having snow on some tops and crevices as they almost touched the clouds.  
  
The couple sat down on a smooth surfaced stone, not too high up but not too much at the bottom to not be able to admire the view. Zagreus leaned his head on Than’s shoulder once more, and this time Thanatos didn’t hesitate, he wrapped his arm around Zag’s shoulders, pulling his boyfriend close as he focused his golden gaze to the city under where they sat. Ren and green soon followed, admiring the buildings, the few people that they could spot walking, the ruins at the base of the hill as well as the horizon with the ever so slowly shifting sun and clouds.  
  
“Hey, Than?” Earning a hum from Thanatos and a soft stroke on his shoulder, was enough to make Zagreus smile and continue “Thanks for everything, you know I really don’t thank you vocally all that much, or say how much I love you and cherish you and-”  
  
“Zag…” With an almost glaring look, the striker smirked and pecked his lips against his boyfriend’s with a small sigh leaving them afterwards “No talking is needed for me to understand all that, your actions are enough you know.”  
  
That alone was enough to make the son of the principal laugh and lean more into the hug, mainly shut up and look over the view, taking it all in for as long as they could remain up there. Because soon enough they had to leave, to walk back to the Academy and practice right after, but at least they had coffee beforehand.

* * *

After a short break of yet again another head count in classes, the students were allowed to leave and return back home… Except if you had extracurricular activities that is! Guess who did… Yes, that is right. Zagreus, Thanatos and Hypnos did. More so they had to arrange next week’s match with their coaches, but at least when it came to that all three of them agreed and knew very well who they wanted to call.  
Right after they changed into their uniforms, all three boys started running their laps for their scheduled warm up, their gaze stuck to their coaches who were passing a ball to each other, striking and even digging as a personal warm up to their routine. Stretches were due and their coaches joined them after for passes and spikes… But after practice instead of leaving, Zagreus gave a kiss on Thanatos’ cheek and a nod at Hypnos, already arranged that he will meet them at their place after he was done talking.  
  
“Mister Achilles, Mister Patroclus, I… Sirs, me and the others, both Thanatos and Hypnos, agreed on who we want our opponents to be for next week’s game. So if you two agree we would like to-” Zagreus was interrupted by a tanned palm showing him a signal to stop.  
  
“We both know. Don’t waste your words Zagreus.” Patroclus sternly said to him, causing the young athlete to nod and almost embarrassed run away… Maybe he could catch Hypnos and Thanatos on the way home.  
  
The black-haired coach sighed, combing back some of his black hair off his forehead with his brown eyes closed, only opening when a pair of strong arms wrapped around his torso. Warm browns met surprisingly welcoming baby blues, combined with some spare blonde locks that were waves of softness and a sweet smile. How could Patroclus say no to such a smile, inevitably his partner caused him to smile as well, his equally strong arms wrapping around the other coach’s body. A soft hum came out of Achilles, looking at his workmate as well as his lover in the eyes, brushing a black strand of hair behind his ear, fingers soon resting against the man’s chin, scratching some of the black beard.   
  
“You can read them so well Pat, it is as if you’re their father. You care deeply for those three, don’t you my love?” His silky voice caught up in Patroclus’ ears, causing him to roll his eyes but keep his gentle smile on his tanned lips.  
  
“Oh Achilles, please I… You know I am not good with such situations but, even I can understand what they want.” His eyes locked with Achilles’, determined and understanding of his students’ wants and needs “And we are going to deliver, correct?”  
  
“Correct.” Patroclus didn’t need to worry, his beloved nodded in agreement, after all they always reached a compromise whenever they talked about something, have that be love life or work, and this time was no exception.

* * *

The arrangements were done shortly after, a rematch with the Elysium team was soon programmed for the next week and all three of the teens worked hard to be prepared. Even Hypnos stayed for extra practice, coordinating with Thanatos as if the twin psyche was actually working and not just an urban myth. Zagreus didn’t miss not even one of his serves, neither high or low, he even hit all his digs without coming crushing down on the field.    
As the practices rolled by, he developed a signal with Thanatos, if the libero was to get the ball Zagreus would tap his foot twice on the ground, if Zag saw that the ball was too far off his reach he would tap four quick times for the spiker of the team or the setter to get it. It was a strategy that wouldn’t be used a lot but it could come in handy for when needed, given the fact that Thanatos’ ankle was still healing both Zagreus and Hypnos were final with the rule of: ‘There is no way our spiker is jumping during this match, not unless it is for a spike.’

Upon walking in the gym, all three noticed the white-haired coach smiling at them, Hermes looking up from his stretches to grin and wave at them… Such a pleasant fellow, made Zagreus almost feel bad for him sticking with Theseus, same with Asterius since the tall player nodded at them as a greeting, respectful as ever. As for Theseus himself, Zagreus didn’t pay mind to him, or better said Thanatos didn’t let him, giving him a comforting smile when he noticed his agitation.   
They focused on their warm up before being gathered by both of their coaches, a warm smile on each of their usually stern faces, well Patroclus’ at least. Advice was given shortly before the match and then the whistling to start was heard loudly. Students from both academies gathered at the bleachers, cheering for their representatives, it was pretty obvious that the female team of their school was there since Meg’s voice was obvious enough… That and the fact that Hypnos kept grinning towards the crowd.   
  
The white ball kept flying left and right, from court side to another, both the coaches and the two teens aware of Thanatos’ movements in case he got carried away and pushed himself. They were all three panting, tired since it was the second game, they won the first… They just needed two more points to set the match in their favor and grab the victory!   
Hermes were fast to serve but Zagreus was also quick to tap his foot twice and dig the ball to a high arch, passing it that way to Hypnos who with a swift turn bounced it off the tip of his fingers towards Than, who in his turn did three steps and jumped just high enough to spike the ball, grazing right next to Theseus’ leg for a point. That alone caused the blonde to glare at the spiker, grabbing the ball aggressively from the ground only to do a great low serve.   
But that didn’t discouraged any of the three, Hypnos was swift to block the serve with a curved block on the net but not faster than Asterius who dug the ball towards Hermes, allowing the shorter of them to jump high and spike the ball as hard as he could, the bright grin on his face ever lasting. Zagreus saw the ball, followed it with his eyes and looked at Thanatos tapping his left foot quickly four times against the ground. The spiker nodded at the libero, doing proper footing to jump just high enough to pass the ball to his twin, who as if their connection as twins worked once more arched it close to the net for Than to hit an aggressive low spike. 

All three held their breath, not moving, frozen until Charon changed the score board. The last scorecard landed and the whistling from their coaches was loud enough throughout the gym, signaling the end of the game and match… The team remained frozen until they heard the cheering of the crowd, causing Hypnos to almost fall to the ground if it wasn’t for Meg jumping over the seats and swooping her boyfriend in her arms with a loud laugh. Patroclus and Achilles grinned and congratulated Charon, who was silently thanking Asterius for holding Theseus back from throwing a tantrum. Hermes rushed to their side of the court, high-fiving both Zagreus and Thanatos, he would have given Hypnos one too but he was… Busy with Megaera holding him tight and congratulating him so he just waved at the setter.   
Zagreus looked over at Than, his eyes almost tearing from how intense the whole moment was. Instead of crying though, Zag just laughed and ran towards his boyfriend, tackling him down on the ground with soft apologies dripping from his lips again and again. But Thanatos just rolled his eyes and cupped Zagreus’ cheeks in his hands, kissing his lover as a congratulatory reward for their win. They were only pulled up by their coaches, both them and Hypnos dragged in a group hug and cheering, soon joined by the whole excited crowd! 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reaching here!  
> Please don't forget to check JC's twitter and art in general, believe me it is more than worth it!  
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Kudos and Comments are always appreciated!


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